Chapter 3

Falling Darkness, the episode I both love and hate. Clare Holman is breathtakingly beautiful in this episode. I would wager that she does heartbreaking, seething anger better than any actress on the planet. The scene where Robbie questions her ranks as one of my favorite scenes in the entire series. She goes from joking to anger to heartbreak in the space of about 15 seconds and it is all so understated as to make you cry for and with her. How she is not a bigger star I will never know.

I am taking a slightly different tack on this one than I did in Stress Relief. Mainly because I need to for this story, but mainly because I think there are probably 100 different ways it could be interpreted. But for me there was always a hopeful aspect to the ending of this episode.

Robbie sat at his desk staring at the paperwork. He had read the same sentence a dozen times and still had no idea what it said. He should have left the paperwork to James. He would never be able to concentrate without knowing how Laura was.

She'd still been asleep, at least he hoped it was asleep, when the ambulance had pulled away. The paramedics wouldn't let anyone ride with her. He shook his head thinking he should have followed. He looked back down at the papers again and decided they could wait.

He was searching his desk to collect all of his things when a voice interrupted him, "Lewis, what in God's name are you doing here? Why are you not at the hospital?"

Robbie looked up into the angry face of Jean Innocent, "That's a good question ma'am. One I was just asking myself."

Seeing the look of anguish on his face, Jean softened her approach, "Robbie, don't worry about the paperwork. We'll get it sorted. Go take care of Dr. Hobson."

Robbie stood from his desk striding quickly to the door. "That's where I'm headed ma'am."

Jean grabbed his arm as he passed her. He looked back at her first shocked that she had touched him but when he saw the look on her face grateful for the contact, "Robbie, take as much time as you need."

He reached down and squeezed her hand in gratitude. They held eye contact for just a moment. A quick nod acknowledging her words was all he could muster. He was afraid if he said anything more he wouldn't be able to go on.

Robbie made it to the hospital in record time. He flashed his warrant card and was given her room number. He followed the directions and quickly found the room. He knocked lightly on the door then pushed it open when he didn't get an answer.

Panic enveloped him as he saw the empty bed. The covers pushed aside on the bed. He entered the room looking around to see if Laura was in the room. Not finding her he rushed into the hallway to the nurse's station, "Can you tell me where Dr. Hobson is? Has something happened to her?"

The nurse looked at him blankly. Slowly recognition registered on her face, "Are you talking about the patient in 201?" Robbie nodded suppressing the urge to scream at the young woman. "She checked herself out of the hospital against doctor's orders."

The nurse went back to her computer screen believing the conversation was over, "Do you know where she went?"

The nurse looked back at him, annoyance flashing on her face, "Sir, once they are no longer my patient it's not my responsibility to know where they go or what they do."

Robbie took a deep breath about to lose his temper with this woman when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the concerned face of James standing behind him, "She's OK sir. I came down to check on her after I made sure that Charlotte Corwin was secure."

"Where is she James?"

"She's asleep in Dr. Jacoby's room. I promise she's fine."

Robbie slumped against the desk as relief washed over him, "Can I go see her?"

James could still see the tension in Robbie's body. His instinct was to continue to protect Laura but he knew that Robbie needed this. He nodded once "Follow me sir, you can look in the window but I think it's best that you not wake her."

"I promise James, I just need to see her."

James led Robbie to the room then stepped away to offer Robbie some privacy. He watched as Robbie pressed his head against the glass of the window. He could see that Robbie's eyes were fixed on Laura. The depth of emotion he saw on Robbie's face made him slightly uncomfortable. James had never been at ease with emotion. It's not that he didn't care about people, in fact, he cared deeply. It was just that he didn't know how to process it when it was this raw. As he watched Robbie stare into the room he committed to doing everything in his power to make sure these two people ended up together, where they belonged.

Robbie pushed back from the window and walked towards James, "Do you know if there is somewhere I can sit so that I can keep an eye on her?"

James could see the exhaustion pulsing through Robbie. He was certain that Robbie shouldn't see Laura while he was this fatigued, "Sir, she's going to need a lot from us in the coming days. Why don't you go home and get some rest?" He saw Robbie wind up to protest and cut him off, "I promise to stay here and keep watch."

Robbie shook his head, "No, it should be me."

"When's the last time you slept, sir?"

Robbie thought for a moment before hanging his head, "The day we questioned her."

James nodded, "I thought as much. Go home, sir, I will stay here and I will update you regularly." James could see Robbie battling with indecision, "I heard her talking to Dr. Jacoby. There's a funeral service for Dr. Willard day after tomorrow. She's going to need friends after that. You can't be there for her if you're exhausted."

Robbie looked back through the window of the room, "You promise to call me if anything happens?" James nodded, "OK, I'll go home."

James patted him on the shoulder and smiled gently. He watched Robbie walk away before going around the corner, grabbing a chair from the waiting room and carrying it back to sit in front of the room Laura was in. He settled his long frame as comfortably as possible into the chair and watched.

A soft touch to his arm woke James, he opened his eyes to the smiling face of Laura Hobson, "James, what are you doing here?"

He stretched his long frame, yawning deeply, "It was the only way I could get Inspector Lewis to leave. I had to promise to watch over you."

"Robbie was here?"

James nodded as he looked down so she wouldn't see the smile on his face, "He seemed very concerned about you. I don't know that I have ever seen anyone so relieved as when he saw you through the window."

Laura nodded as she looked at the window in question. She could picture Robbie standing there, his forehead pressed against the window. Somehow, the thought of it comforted her, "Will he be back?"

This time James did smile, "If you want him here, without a doubt." He could tell that she was about to ask something and he interrupted, "But he hasn't slept since he questioned you so I sent him home to rest. I thought you might need him more for the funeral."

Laura looked at him oddly, "How did you know about the funeral?"

James looked at the ground, "I've been here since shortly after you discharged yourself. I overheard you and Dr. Jacoby talking."

"Listening at keyholes again James?"

"You'd be surprised at the curious things you can learn when you do that Dr. Hobson."

She smiled, "I think you can call me Laura now James. After what you did for me, you've earned that right." She placed her hand against the wall to steady herself.

James noted the movement and leapt from his chair, "Dr. Hob…Laura, please sit down."

She looked up at him, struck as always by his height. But it was his quiet demeanor that made her smile at him, "Thank you James."

Once she was seated in the chair he lowered himself to the ground next to her, "It was Inspector Lewis that sent me in the grave after you. Left to my own devices I'm not sure I would have done that."

She looked down at him, "Why is that James?"

"I wanted to go after them and hurt them for what they had done to you."

"And you don't think Robbie wanted the same?"

James shrugged as he thought how best to answer her question, "I think he knew that me going into that grave with you was the best thing for all three of us."

Laura reached down and squeezed James' shoulder, "I don't think I understand James."

"I think he knew if he jumped into the grave that he would have fallen apart. The flashbacks to his wife would have been too extreme and that would have made things worse for you. I think he knew that had I gone after those twins I might have done something that I would have had to live with for the rest of my life." James paused for a moment taking Laura's hand into both of his. He turned to her and squeezed her hand as he brought it to his lips, "By sending me into that grave he took care of both of us the best way he knew how."

They sat for a moment staring at one another, physically connected by their hands, mentally connected by a shared nightmare. Neither really knew what to say after the honesty of James' observation, "Do you ever wonder who takes care of him James?"

James smiled as he leaned against the wall, "Personally Laura, I think you are the ideal candidate for that position."

Laura walked towards Robbie. He smiled, it was the first time he'd seen her since that night in the hospital. "Robbie, thank you." She placed her hand on his chest. "If you hadn't…"

He smiled. "We did. And we always will." They shared a smile. He motioned away from the cemetery. "Blow away the cobwebs?"

She smiled and nodded as she took his arm. Together they walked away, not in perfect step but closer than they had ever been before.

A/N: For those of you disappointed with the lack of Robson in this chapter, I apologize. I originally thought I would have this touching Robson scene at the end but the James & Laura scene felt like it was all that was really needed to tell this chapter of the story. Sometimes less really is more, this was one of those times.